Relay housing



G. O. HAGENBACH Feb. 28, 1950 RELAY HOUSING 4 Sheets-Shed 1 Filed Jan. 22, 1948 Flcahl.

Zmventor 444W ZZZ/J.

(Ittou weg Feb. 28, 1950 G. o. HAGENBACH 2,498,307

RELAY HOUSING Filed Jan. 22, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

E 65 ll l I, Si" 1 1" I Lil a M M. m %a Gttorneg FEB. 28,1950 G. o. HAGENBACH 2,498,807

RELAY HOUSING Filed Jan. z, 1948 4' Sheets-Sheet s Feb. 28, 1950 Filed Jan. 22, 1948 FIG. 5.

c. o. HAGENBACH RELAY HOUSING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I .(Ittomeg,

?atented Feb. 28, 195%) RELAY HOUSING George 0. Hagenbach,

to General Railway S ter, N. Y.

Rochester, N. Y., assignor ignal Company, Roches- Application January 22, 1948, Serial No. 3,683

Claims. 1

This invention relates to relay housings, and it more particularly pertains to facilities in such housings for the quick replacement of relays and associated Wiring connections.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for detachably securing relays within a relay housing in a manner to render the relays and their wiring connections readily accessible for purposes of replacement, inspection and alterations, and yet allow the relays to be spaced close to each other and close to other apparatus that may be required to be in the relay housing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide relay coupler units in the housing for detachably coupling the respective relays, one coupler unit being provided for each relay, and each coupler unit comprising a plug board, a terminal board, and an enclosed wire chase for wiring connections connecting the terminal board and the plug board.

Another object of the present invention is to mount the relay coupler units on one or more resiliently mounted plates, each of such plates being secured to a shelf slidable outwardly from the housing, whereby the respective termina boards of the coupler units are readily accessible upon sliding the shelf outwardly from the relay housing.

Other objects, purposes, and characteristic features of the present invention will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and in part pointed out as the description progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view in perspective of a relay housing structure according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a relay coupled to a relay coupler unit;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slidable shelf and associated parts upon which the respective relay coupler units are secured;

Fig. 4 is an elevational front view of the slidable shelf and its associated parts;

Fig. 5 is an elevational sectional view of the slidable shelf with its associated parts taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, such shelf being shown in its extended position; and,

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the slidable shelf and its associated parts, some of such parts being shown in expanded relationship.

With reference to Fig. 1, a relay housing is illustrated comprising a case C which can be of any suitable material, such as cast iron, or sheet metal, for example, and secured to such case are suitable hinges W for hinging the case door H. The case door is preferably provided with a channel about its periphery in which suitable cording l2 or other packing material is cemented to insure a tight and substantially dust tight fit for the case door II when it is secured in its closed position. The door H of the relay housing is pro vided with suitable means (not shown), such as a spring hasp, for holding the door tightly closed and for receiving a suitable padlock.

Because of the large number of wires coming into most relay housings, terminal boards such as the three terminal boards l3 illustrated in Fig. 1 are generally required for terminating the wires of the cables; and the wires extending to the relays, either from the terminal boards l3 or directly from incoming tables are applied to the terminal boards M of the respective relay coupler units. It will therefore be seen from the large number of terminals required in the relay housing that the size of the housing would v be considerably increased if the terminal boards were all mounted elevationally to render all terminals readily accessible as are the terminals of the boards l3 in the upper portion of the relay housing. Thus, to economize on space and for other considerations, the terminal boards l4 associated with the respective relays are secured to respective relay coupler units which in turn, because of being secured to a slidable shelf renders these terminals readily accessible when the shelf is extended, and permits the utilization of horizontally disposed boards so as to utilize the space of the relay housing to best advantage and thereby maintain a minimum elevational dimension for the case C.

The three elevationally disposed terminal boards 13 are suitably secured as by the screws 25 to the elevationally disposed supporting brackets 16 which in turn are suitably secured as by rivets or welding to the respective sides of the case C. The relay coupler units are secured to the mounting plate H, which in turn is secured through resilient means to the slidable shelf 18 in a manner to be hereinafter more specifically considered.

With reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the shelf I8 is a substantially rectangular sheet metal plate of a width slightly less than the inside width of the case C so as to be receivable within supporting channels H! which are suitably secured as by welding to mounting brackets 20 which in turn 3 are suitably secured as by the rivets 2I to the sides of the case C.

The shelf I8 is supported within the supporting channels I9 from underneath by a slide plate 22 which is of a size comparable to the shelf I8, and has its sides bent upwardly so as to form channels 23 at the respective sides of the slide plate 22, with the upper surfaces 24 of such channels serving as a support for the shelf I8, the breadth of the channels 23 being such as to permit the shelf I8 to be freely slidable between the upper surface 24 of the channels of the slide plate and the lower surface 25 of the supporting channels H9. The slide plate 22 has its front and back edges formed upwardly to make the slide plate structure more rigid, the front edge being only partially formed upwardly to form a detent 28 by which the slide plate 22 can be readily held in position manually while inserting or removing the shelf I8 in a manner to be hereinafter considered.

By the insertion of the stop screws 21 within the channels at the opposite sides of the slide plate 22 and toward the back of the plate, the limits of slide operation of the plate 22 within the supporting channels I9 is determined as permitting the plate 22 to slide within the supportin channels I 9 between the shoulders 28 and 29 which engage the stop screws 2'! when the plate 22 is in its respective extended or restored position.

The shelf I8 is limited in its extension by the dogs 38 which are suitably secured as by welding to the undersurface of the shelf I8 at the opposite sides thereof and toward the back of the shelf. The dogs 38 are free to slide Within the channels in the sides of the slide plate 22 within the limits of the shoulders 3i and the back upturned edge 32 of the slide plate 22, each of the dogs 38 having a detent 33 projecting from' the left hand side thereof and locking the dog within its associated channel of the slide plate 22 upon extension of the shelf I8.

Secured to the upper surface of the shelf I8 by means of rubber mountings 34 and spaced above the shelf I8 and above the supporting channels I9 is a sheet metal mounting plate I! to which the respective relay coupler units are secured as by the screws 38 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The rubber mountings 34 for the mounting plate I! are suitably secured to the shelf I8 as by the bolts 31, the center portions of the mountings 34 extend through the shelf I 8. The mounting plate I1 is secured to the center portions of the rubber mountings 34 by the bolts 38. It is thus provided that a minimum amount of vibration of the relay housing as caused by the passage of trains is transmitted to the mounting plate I? and thus to the relay coupler units secured thereto. It is also provided by means of the rubber mountings 34 that the mounting plate I! is insulated from the relay housing, and thus the metal parts of the relay coupler units and of the relays are insulated from ground. v

The mode of operation in the extension of the shelf I8 from its normally restored position within the relay housing involves the grasping of a downwardly extending detent 39 which is formed at the front edge of the shelf I8 and pulling outwardly, subsequent to the disengagement ofa suitable catch 4|. The dogs 30 within the channels at the respective sides of the slide plate 22 are moved from the back edge 32 to the front shoulders 3I of the slide plate '22. The engagement of the dogs 30 with the front shoulders 3I of the slide plate 22 provides that the slide plate 22 becomes extended as the shelf is pulled further outwardly from the relay housing, and the stop screws 21 leave the restoration shoulders 29 of the supporting channels I9 and move toward the limit shoulders 28 which define the limit of extension of the slide plate 22. It is thus provided that the shelf I8 is fully extended when the dogs 38 are in engagement with the shoulders SI of the slide plate 22 and when the stop screws of the slide plate 22 are in engagement with the shoulders 28 of the support channels I9.

It will be noted according to Fig. 5 which illustrates the shelf I8 in its fully extended position that the front portion of the shelf is locked to the slide plate 22 by the detents 33 of the dogs 30, and that the back edge of the shelf extends within the supporting channels I9 so as to be maintained within such channels. If it is desired to remove the shelf I8, this can be accomplished by extending the shelf I8 as has been described, and in restoring the shelf I8 slightly while holding the slide plate 22 in its fully extended position so as to disengage the detents 33 of the dogs 38 from the shoulders 3I of the side plate 22, thus permitting the shelf I8 to be tilted upwardly sufficient to permit the dogs to be removed from the channels of the slide plate 22 and thus by disengagement of the detents 33 of thedogs 38 to permit the shelf I8 to be slid outwardly until its back edge is free from the supporting channels I 9 and thus entirely free from the relay housing. In order to permit this mode of operation, sufiicient clearance must be maintained between the upper surface 24 of the slide plate channels 23 and the inside upper surface 25 of the supporting channels I9 so as to allow the shelf I8 to be tilted upwardly as described sufiiciently for the dogs 38 to be raised out of the channels 23 of the slide plate 22.

The mode of operation in the restoration of the shelf I8 within the relay housing is to hold the slide plate 22 in its fully extended position while inserting the back edge 40 of the shelf I8 within the supporting channels I9 to an extent to allow the dogs 38 of the shelf I 8 to drop within the channels 23 of the slide plate 22 behind the shoulders 3|. Upon restoration of the shelf I8 further within the housing, assuming that the slide plate 22 is not held in its extended position, the slide plate 22 is restored until the stops 2'! engage the shoulders 29 of the supporting channels I9, and the shelf I8 is further restored until the back edge 40 engages the back edge 32 of the slide plate 22. The shelf I8 is maintained in its restored position by a spring biased catch 4I which snaps back of a detent 42 when the shelf I8 is completely restored within the relay housing. Although it is to be understood that other forms of catches and detents may be employed, for this embodiment of the present inven-. tion, the spring catch 4! is suitably secured as by the rivets 43 to the shelf I8 in a manner to be engaged by the sheet metal detent 42 which is suitably secured as by welding to the top of the right hand supporting channel I9 as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4. The disengagement of the catch 4| is accomplished by manual actuation of a catch operating detent 44, which extends below the shelf 18, to a left hand position.

Each of the relay coupler units comprises a bracket 58, (see Fig. 2), a terminal board I4, a plug board 5I, and a cover plate 52. The bracket 58 has a bifurcated base extending below the relay having holes 53 formed therein for bolts 38 (see Fig. l)- for securing-the bracket 50 to the mounting plate l1. With reference-to Figs. 1 and 2, the bracket 50 has a channel shaped upright portion and a channel shaped top extending over the top of the relay so as to form a wire chase for the housing of wires 54 extending from terminal posts 55 or the: terminal board to respective contact points 51 of the plug board i, The plug board 5| is elevationally disposed at the left hand side of the bracket 58 as viewed in Fig. 2., it being. suitably secured to the bracket 50 as by the screws 58. The plug board structure can be of any suitable character for the coupling of a. relay, such, for example, as the plug board structure in the prior application of J. F. Merkel, Ser, No. 712,000, dated November 23, 19,46, which has resulted in Patent No. 2,457,703,, dated. December 28, 19.48. The: plug board according to such application has; detachable contact points so as to permit: the securing of the contact. points 5?; to the wires 54 before the assembly of the wires within the relay coirpler unit. The plug contact points: 51 in the upper portion of the plug, board are associated with. the plug coupling of, the respective contacts of the relay with which the relay coupler unit is associated, and the wires 54 connect to detac-hable contact points; inserted within the boss 59 the. insulating material for the plug coupling of connections to the windings of the relay. Mounting rods 69 are.- sui-tably secured within the plug board. 5| as by being; drawn up against a shoulder by the nut 9|. The relay has. sleeves (not shown) that. lit over the rods. 60,, and the thumb nuts 62 when threaded on to the rods 68 hold the relay tightly against the plug board. The shoulders 63 of the plug board fit tightly against the sides of the bracket 50 so as to tightly inclosev the wires 54- When the cover plate is applied to the. back. Of the. bracket 50 as by the screws 64.

The terminal board M as. illustrated in Fig. 2 extends across the. topv of. the. channel in the upper portion of. the bracket 50 and serves as a cover for such. channel- The. terminal board I4 is secured to the. bracket 50 by the screws 65 which are threaded into suitable bosses 66 of the bracket 50. It will be readily understood that various types of terminalposts and terminal boards may be employed as required in practice, the terminal. board I 4 illustrated inthis embodiment being formed of insulating material with the terminal postsv 55 molded into the insulatingmaterial. Internal wiring connections of the wires 54 to the terminal posts 55 is accomplished by suitable lugs 6T atthe bottom of the terminal posts to which the wires 54. are suitably secured as by solder. External. wiring connections to the terminal board M from the terminal boards 1.3 or from out-going cables are made. on the terminal posts 55 above the terminal board, i4 so as to be. secured between nuts 68 and washers 69 according to the usual practice. For the purpose of protecting against shorts between terminals, and to facilitate working, in the. relay housing when energy is: applied to the respective circuits, insulating caps Ill are preferably applied to the terminal posts 55 after Wiring connections have been completed.

According to the structure of the relay coupler unit as it has been described, it will be readily apparent that the internal wiring of the relay coupler unit can be done prior to the assembly of the unit within the relay housing, and after all Wiring connections within the unit are made, the application of the cover plate 52 to the back of the bracket by the screws 64 completes the housing of the wires within the relay coupler unit. The assembly of the relay coupler unit to the mounting plate I! of the relay housing is readily accomplished by the screws 36 (see Fig. '7), and with the shelf :8 fully extended, wiring connections within the relay housing from the terminal boards 13 above the relay coupler units or from cables feeding into the case C can readily be made to the terminal posts of the terminal board M. After such connections have been completed, the shelf 18 is restored to its normal position within the relay housing, and the catch 4| holds the shelf in such position, the wiring connections to the terminal board 14' at the top of the relay coupler unit being then below and back of the terminal boards l3 so as to be protected from mechanical damage or from possible short circuiting due to the dropping of tools etc. when wiring connections are being made in.- volving the terminal boards I3, or other apparatus, in the upper portion of the relay housing.

Having thus described a specific relay housing as one embodiment of the present invention it is desired to be understood that this form has been disclosed primarily for facilitating the dis closure of the present invention, rather than for the purpose of limiting the number of forms the present invention may assume, and it is to be further understood that additions, alterations. or modulations may be applied: to the specific form shown to meet the requirements of practice without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention except as limited between appending claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a relay housing, a coupler unit for eachrelay comprising, an elevationally disposed sup-- porting bracket having an integral portion extending above and below and across the back of its associated relay, said bracket having awire chase formed therein extending through its top and back portions, a terminal board secured across the top of said bracket and covering said wire chase in the top portion of the bracket, a plug board vertically disposed and secured in the back of said bracket, said plug board being adapted to support and make quickly detachable electrical connection with the relay associated with that bracket, and a cover spaced tothe rear of said plug board covering said wire chase in the back portion of the bracket.

2. In a relay housing, a coupler unit for each relay comprising an elevationally disposed supporting bracket removable from said housing independent of brackets for other relays, said bracket having an integral portion extending. across the top: and back of its associated; relay, and said bracket having a wire chase formed therein. extending from the top to the back of the bracket, a plug board for the plug coupling of a single relay elevationally disposed and secured to the back of said bracket, and a terminal board having terminal posts secured thereto, said terminal board. being secured across the top of. said bracket so as to serve as a cover for the top portion of said wire chase, and said terminal board having wires secured to its terminal posts and extending through said wire chase to said plug board.

3. In a relay housing, a coupler unit for each relay comprising, a plug board providing a quickly detachable mounting for the associated relay, a terminal board having wires extending from its terminals to said plug board, and a supporting bracket secured within the housing supporting said terminal board and said plug board, said supporting bracket affording an inclosed wire chase for said wires.

4. A coupler unit for a relay comprising a bracket having a base adapted for mounting to a relay shell, a back portion extending elevationally from the base, and a top portion extending horizontally from the top of said back portion, said bracket having a Wire chase formed therein extending across said back portion and across said top portion, a plug board adapted to plug couple a single relay said plug board being secured to said back portion of said :bracket in an elevationally disposed position, a terminal board having terminal posts secured to said top portion of said bracket so as to serve as a cover for said wire chase, said terminal board having wires extending from its terminal posts through said wire chase to said plug board, and a cover plate secured across the back of said bracket inclosing said wire chase in the back portion of the bracket.

5. The combination with a coupler board for detachably coupling a single relay and a terminal board having a plurality of terminal posts, of an integral bracket for supporting said coupler board and said terminal board comprising a base portion adapted for mounting to a relay shelf, a back portion extending elevationally from one end of the base, and a top portion extending horizontally from the top of said back portion, said bracket having a wire chase formed therein extending through its upper and back portions and said bracket being adapted to receive said terminal board across the top portion of the bracket and to receive said coupler board across the back portion of the bracket, whereby a wire chase is formed for wiring con nections extending from said terminal board to said coupler board.

6. In a relay housing, supporting channels secured to the opposite sides of the housing, a shelf slidable outwardly from the housing within said supporting channels, a slide plate slidable outwardly from the housing Within said channels and beneath said shelf, said slide plate being limited in its sliding movement by said supporting channels, and said slide plate being effective to limit the extension of said shelf from said housing, a mounting plate, and resilient supporting and insulating means for said mounting plate for absorbing vibrations transmitted through the housing to said shelf, said resilient supporting means being efiective to secure said mounting plate to said shelf in a position spaced above said shelf and above said supporting channels so as to insulate said mounting plate from said case.

7. In a relay housing of the character described, supporting channels secured to the opposite sides of the housing, a shelf slidable outwardl from the housing within said supporting channels, a slide plate slidable outwardly from the housing within said channels and beneath said shelf, a mounting plate, and resilient supporting means of insulating material for securing said mounting plate to said shelf, said resilient supporting means being efiective to space said mounting plate above said shelf and above said supporting channels and thereby insulate said supporting plate from said shelf and from said housing.

8. In a relay housing, supporting channels oppositely disposed and secured to the opposite sides of the housing, a slide plate slidable outwardly from the housing within said channels, said slide plate having limiting shoulders, a shelf slidable outwardly from the housing within said channels and above said supporting plate, said shelf having secured to the underside thereof a dog engaging said limiting shoulders of said slide plate and thereby limiting the extension of the shelf beyond said slide plate, a mounting plate, and resilient supporting means for securing said mounting plate to said shelf, said resilient supporting means being effective to cushion said mounting plate with respect to vibrations transmitted through said relay housing and through said shelf.

9. A housing for relays comprising, a case, supporting channels oppositely disposed secured to the opposite sides of said case, a shelf slidable within said channels outwardly from said case, a slide plate slidable within said channels beneath said shelf, said slide plate being limited in its extension by said supporting channels and said slide plate having shoulders limiting the extension of said shelf, a resiliently supported mounting plate secured to said shelf, a relay coupler unit secured to said mounting plate, and

a relay coupled to said coupler unit so as to be quickly detachable therefrom.

10. In a housing for relays of the character described, a case, supporting channels oppositely disposed and secured along the opposite sides of said case, a shelf slidable outwardly from said case Within said channels, a slide plate slidable within said channels beneath said shelf, said slide plate being limited in its extension from said case by said supporting channels, and said slide plate being effective to limit the extension of said shelf outwardly fro-m said case, a mounting plate, resilient mounting means for securing said mounting plate to said slide plate, said mounting means being effective to insulate said mounting plate from said shelf and from said case, a relay coupler unit secured to said mounting plate, and a relay coupled to said coupler unit so as to be quickly detachable therefrom.

GEORGE O. HAGENBACH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,914,767 Beckwith June 20, 1933 2,145,797 Merkel Jan. 31, 1939 2,162,318 Schmitz June 13, 1939 2,173,101 Fiedler Sept. 19, 1939 2,388,675 Chapman Nov. 13, 1945 

